Dirt and snow moving attachment for tractors



March 3, 1953 B. F. ARPS 2,629,944

DIRT AND SNOW MOVING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS I Filed July 21, 1948 4Sheejas-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. @eu/vo F fleas.

March 3, 1953 B. F. ARPS 2,629,944-

DIRT AND SNOW MOVING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACT 6R5 Filed July 21, 1948 4Sheets-Sheet 2 March 3, 1953 B. F. ARPS 2,629,944

DIRT AND SNOW MOVING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed July 21, 1948 4Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Bea/v0 F AEPJ BY HTTOQ/VEY March 3, 1953 B. F.ARPS DIRT AND SNOW MOVING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledJuly 21, 1948 fi/eu/vo F4227 BY IN VEN TOR.

# 7- TOP/V6 y Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIRT ANDSNOW MOVING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS 4 Claims.

The present invention relates-to an attachment for tractors havingblades suitable for bulldozing and the like and has for its principalobjects generally stated, a device which is simple, easilymanu'fa'cturedat low cost and efficient.

Important objects of the present invention are to provide a suitableholding bracket for the blade having means, whereby the blade may beconveniently positioned at an angle transverse to the direction oftravel or tilted transversely and also providing means whereby when theblade" is used for bulldozing it may be spring held in operatingposition and spring released if the bottom of the blade contacts aserious obstruction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means whereby thescraper element may be optionally rigidly held to its bracket andadjusted at different vertical angles without the addition of extraparts.

A novel feature of applicants device is the skid shoes which arepositioned a considerable distance apart and vertically adjustablysecured to the scraper element, whereby the weight of the scraperelement and frontend of the frame maylargely rest on the shoes and whendesired the blade may be caused to travel slightly above the roadsurface.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a framewhich is detachably hingedly connected at its rear ends preferably tothe rear axle housings of the tractor and having guide ways secured tothe front axle of the tractor, in a manner whereby the attachment may bequickly and easily attached and detached from the tractor.

A further object of the present invention vis to provide novel means for.detachably connecting the device to the standard draw bars of thetractor having means whereby the connections may be quickly made ordetached without change of any parts of the device or tractor and,whereby the standard-means for raising or lowering the draw bars may beused for changing the transverse angle of the carrying frame and blade.

An important feature of the present invention is its connection to thedraw bars of the tractor having means whereby the regular power liftsupplied on the tractor is used for raising and lowering or adjustingthe transverse angle of operation as hereinafter described and claimed-l' 2 and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view" of a conventional tractor equippedwith my invention with the scraper element and its bracket removed.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a tractor and a fraction of thedevice, the frame members of the device being sectioned on line 2-2 ofFigure 1. I

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the scraper element and its bracketshowing a fraction of the front end of the frame bars;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 except illustrating the springreleasing mechanism in action,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the scraper element and bracket showinga fraction of the scraper element and a fraction of the frame bars andillustrating the position of the scraper element similar to that shownin Figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a fractional view of the front end 01' the frame showing afraction of the scraper element bracket in section.

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view illustrating a guide bracket, afraction of the carrying frame and its cable mechanism for controllingthe height of the scraper element.

Fig. 8 is a fractional rear end elevational view of the tractorillustrating the power lift connection to conventional draw bars andalso illustrating the structure forming the connectionsbetween the drawbars and carrying frame.

Fig. 9 illustrates a modification.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged side elevational view illustrating the detachableconnection of the frame to a bracket which may be permanently secured tothe tractor axle housing.

Fig. 1 1 is a rear view illustrating the parts shown in Figure 10.

As thus illustrated the tractor in its entirety is designated byreference character A, the scraper element including its bracket isdesignated in its entirety by reference character B. The frame whichforms an operating connection between the scraper element and bracketand tractor is in its entirety designated by reference character C.

The tractor frame is designated by reference numeral ID havingv at itsrear end axle housings l|--l| and at its forward end an axle l-2 whichis horizontally pivoted (not shown) at its center to the tractor frame.Rear carrying wheels l3l3 (one not shown) are mounted on axles whichprotrude from housing members H inthe usual manner and wheels i l-l4 aremounted opening through which a bolt 26 extends.

31-31 and aa aa.

H! by means of pins 26-20, the ends of which protrude through slots2|-2| in brackets l9. At the front ends of slots 2| I provide out turnedflanges 22 22. When the pins are moved into the slots as shown in Figure10, plates 23-23 are placed on the pins and lock pins 24 are insertedinto openings in the ends of the pins, the pins will then be held inposition in the slots'by plates '23. Thus clearly it is a simple matterto attach and detach frame C from the tractor.

Thus it will be seen that frame C may. raise and lower at its front endon members 20 as axes, the forward end, however of frame C while 'freeto raise and lower, is prevented from swinging sidewise by brackets 5.

I will now describe in detail my scraper blade element B and its bracketconnection to member C. Members It at their forward ends converge ,andare secured to a block or bracket 25 preferably by electric welding, theblock having an Bolt 26 extends through bracket 21 and through areinforcing washer 28. Thus member 21 is rotatively supported by thefront end of member C. The rear end of member 21 is curved as at 21 (seeFigure 5) on a radius with bolt 26 and is .cross bracket 3|, the crossbracket being preferably electric welded to these members.

I provide an L-shaped bracket 32 which is preferably electric welded tomember 3| the upper flange of which extends over member 21 and pastopenings and having an opening 33 which registers with openings 30 andan opening in member 3| (not shown), whereby a linch pin 34 may be usedvto lock the front end of bracket 21 in a transverse position forbulldozing or at an angle in either direction for moving dirt and snowsidewise. The rear end of member 21 slidably rests on member 3| andunder the forwardly extending lip of member 32. Thus it will be seenthat bracket 21 will be firmly held in its locked position by members3|, 32 and 34.

Referring now specifically to Figures 3, 4 and 5; scraper element B iscurved about as shown having a blade 40, and spaced stiffening barsMembers 38 are pivoted to the forward corners of member 21 as at 39.Bracket 21 has attached thereto two spaced plates 4242 preferably byelectric welding, bars 38 being the proper distance apart to practicallycontact the sides of the front end of bracket 21. Plates 42 are shapedabout as shown in Figure 4 having openings 43-43 in their upper frontcorners.

I provide two toggle joints comprising bars 45 and links 45. Each pairof links is pivotally connected together as at 41, the front ends ofbars 45 are pivoted to plate 42 as at 43 and the front ends of links 46are pivoted to their adacent bars 38 as at 49--49. Two anchor bars 5|l50 extend through openings 44 in plates 42 and are which are secured totubes l6.

anchored to bracket 21 a short distance from plates 42 as at 5|--5|. Atransverse bar 52 is, at its ends pivoted to bars 45 as at 53-53. Bolts6060 are anchored to bars 50 (see Figure 5) and extend freely throughopening in bar 52. Springs 8| rest on bar 52 and are held on bolt 60 bymeans of washers 52-62 and nuts 63--63 on the ends of the bolts.

It will be seen that when bars 45 are forced rearwardly and downwardlyon their pivots 43, links 46 will at 41 travel rearwardly and downwardlyon pivots 49 as axes, thus to move the scraper element to the positionshown in Figure 3. Pins 5454 extend inwardly through plates 42 andcontact bar 45 when the scraper is in working position. Thus when bars45 and links 46 are in the position shown in Figure 3 the plane of thepivot point of links 46 will be a very short distance above pivot point43 so that it will take considerable pressure on the lower side ofscraper element B to move the blade rearwardly at its bottom on pivot 39and that because of the structure just described, as soon as thepressure 'on the bottom of the blade is released the blade will swingback to its working position as illustrated in Figure 3.

I secure an L iron 64 to members 31 and 38 for the length of blade 40.On the forward side of this L iron I secure a cutting and wearing blade'65 preferably by countersunk bolts (not shown).

Near the ends of members 64 I mount brackets 66 preferably by means ofbolts 61, these brackets have openings through which a stem 68 isslidably mounted and on the bottom end of which are secured skid shoes69. Member 68 is preferably provided with closely spaced indentations(not shown), whereby this member can be locked in its vertical positionby means of set screws 10 and suitable lock nuts. Thus the skid shoescan be located in a position when desired to support the weight of thescraper element and hold blade 65 slightly away from the road surfacewhen such an adjustment is desirable.

If it is not desirable to provide means, whereby the scraper element cantip rearwardly at its lower side, then bars 45, cross bar 52, bolts 60and springs 6| are dispensed with and the rear end of links 46 aresecured to plates 42 at 12, and their front ends are securedto bars 38in any one of closely spaced holes 4| as illustrated in Figure 9,

whereby the vertical angle of the blade may be -Figure 9 clearlyillustrates this and lowering the scraper element by means of theconventional tractor power lift bysupplying two cables 14-14. Cablesheaves 15-15 (see Figure 7) are rotatably mounted on brackets 16 Theupper ends of the cables are suitably secured to screw threaded bolts1818, having nuts whereby the cable ends may be detachably andadjustably secured to brackets |5 (see Figures 1, 2 and '1).

The ends of the power lift shaft 19 are secured to arms -80. The rearends of these arms are connected by links 8|8| to conventional draw bars8282. The raised position of these draw bars and power lift is shown bysolid lines in Figure 1. The lowest position of the draw bars andresultant position of frame C is shown by dotted lines in this figure.The draw bars are pivotally mounted preferably to members H as at 8383and links 8| are secured to these bars at 84 (see Figure 8). Pivots 83are preferably in a1ignmentwithpins20.-

It is frequently desirable to tilt the scraper blade for minor terracingoperations and for adjusting the transverse position to the road sur- 3face. justable device 90 on one of the links 8|. This is shown on theright hand link in Figure 8 and has suitable means for changing thelength of this link so as to raise or lower the drawbar to which thelink is connected and tilt the scraper-blade to the right or left.

The operating connections of cables 14 to draw bars 82 are made asfollows: rearwardly extending bars 8585 are pivoted at their front endson pins 20 (see Figure 11) and are rigidly secured at their rear ends tobars 86 as illustrated. The i lower ends of bars 86 are connectedtogether by means of a tube 31. Brackets 8888 are secured to tube 81preferably by electric welding and in the position shown in Figure 8,and at the forward ends of these brackets, cables 14 are hingedlysecured.

The upper ends of bars 86 are connected together by means of a bar 89,this bar at its ends being positioned above draw bars 82. Thus when thepower lift acts to raise the draw bars, cables M will be movedrearwardly. It will be seen from the next above description that thepower lift may act to raise or lower the scraper element or for tiltingit for minor terracing operations.

Generally when the scraper element B is removed from frame C asillustrated in Figure 1, the front end of the frame is raised to itshighest position by the power lift after which it may be held in thisposition as follows: two chains 93--93 are secured to bars 85 at 94.Brackets 95-45 are mounted preferably on brackets H! (see Figures and11). The upper ends of brackets 95 are provided with cut away slitsintheir centers whereby the chains may be hooked onto the bracket asillustrated in Figures 8 and 11 after which the power lift may be usedfor raising and lowering draw bars 82 independent of the presentattachment. It will be understood, however, that frame C and itsconnections to the draw bar brackets Hi, the cable connections tobrackets l5 and the connections between frame C and draw bars 82 may beconveniently removed or replaced.

In some services under some circumstances I may elect to providehook-over brackets 96 which are removably or slidably secured to drawbars 82 so the hook-over portion may be positioned over bar 89 thus tolock bar 89 to the draw bar for positive movement in either directionand force member 85 to follow the movement of the draw bars. Whenhook-over brackets 96 are not in use and it is desired to use the drawbar independent of the attachment, all that is necessary is for theoperator to raise the front end of the attachment and then hold it inthis position by attaching chain 93 to bracket 95, after which member 98may be moved rearwardly on the draw bars and then the drawbars' may beraised and lowered independent of the attachment.

Clearly many minor detail changes maybe made in the design shown Withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention as recited in theappended claims.

Having thus shown and described my invention, I claim:

1. A scraper attachment for a tractor having a rear power liftcomprising in combination, a carrying frame with spaced apart sidemembers, their front ends converging into a supporting This isaccomplished by means of an adblock, their rear ends being transverselypivoted to the rear end of the tractor, said supporting block havingmounted thereon a scraper blade holding frame, operating connectionsbetween the said frame side members rearwardly of said converging frontends and said power lift, the pivotal connection of said side members tothe tractor comprising a pair of spaced depending L- shaped brackets,each bracket formed from flat stock and secured to the rear axle housingof the tractor, each bracket having a horizontal slot formed thereinextending rearwardly from the forward edge of the bracket, outwardlyturned flanges on the forward edges of said brackets, laterallyextending pins on the rear ends of said side members adapted to be movedrearwardly into said slots, detachable means for locking the sidemembers to the brackets comprising blocks having openings for thereception of said pins, the blocks being adapted to lie on the outsideof the bracket and behind said flanges, detachable means for locking theblocks on the pins whereby by removing the blocks the side frame membersmay be moved forwardly and detached from the brackets, dependingguideways secured to the front axle of the tractor and positioned on theoutside of said spaced apart frame members for restraining side movementof the frame, said operating connection to the power lift comprising apair of spaced apart cables, the rear ends of the cables being connectedto the power lift, said cables being entrained over spaced apart sheavesrotatably mounted on said spaced apart side members adjacent thevertically arranged guide members, the forward ends of said cables beingsecurely anchored to the front of the tractor, whereby upon longitudinalmovement of the cables the front end of the carrying frame may bevertically pivoted about the axis of the lateral pins by said power liftwithout changing the transverse adjusted angle of said supporting block.

2. A scraper attachment for a tractor having a rear power liftcomprising in combination, a carrying frame with spaced apart sidemembers, their front ends converging into a supporting block, their rearends being transversely pivoted to the rear end of the tractor, saidsupporting block having mounted thereon a scraper blade holding frame,operating connections between the said frame side members rearwardly ofsaid converging front end and said power lift, depending guidewayssecured to the front axle of the tractor and positioned adjacent oneside of said spaced apart frame members for restraining side movement ofthe frame, said operating connection to the power lift comprising a pairof spaced apart cables, the rear ends of the cables being connected tothe power lift, said cables being entrained over spaced apart sheavesrotatably mounted on said spaced apart side members adadjcent thevertically arranged guide members, the forward ends of said cables beinganchored to the front of the tractor, whereby upon longitudinal movementof the cables the front end of the carrying frame may be verticallypivoted about the axis of the said transverse pivots by said power liftwithout changing the adjusted transverse angle of said supporting block.

3. A device as recited in claim 2 including, an adjustable meansassociated with one of said power lifting connections whereby theconnection may be adjusted for tilting said carrying frames when in apower lift sup-ported position.

4. A scraper attachment for a tractor having a rear end power liftcomprising, a carrying frame with spaced apart side members, their frontends converging into a supporting block, their rear ends beingtransversely pivotally secured to the rear end of the tractor intransverse spaced apart relation, depending brackets secured to thefront axle of the tractor and positioned to restrain side movement ofsaid frame, but permit vertical movement thereof, an operatingconnection to the power lift comprising a pair of spaced apart cables,the rear ends of the cables being connected to the power lift, one ofsaid cable connections being adjustable as to length for tilting saidcarrying frame, said cables being entrained over sheaves, rotatablymounted upon said first spaced apart members, the forward end of saidcables being anchored to said depending brackets, whereby said powerlift may be operated for rais- 8 'ing or lowering said carrying framesabout their pivotal connections to the tractor and without changing theadjusted transverse angle of said supporting block.

BRUNO F. ARPS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

